The pelvic floor is a large hammock of muscles stretching from side to side across the floor of the pelvis (see the diagram). It is attached to your pubic bone in front, and to the tail end of your spine behind and acts as a sling supporting your internal organs. The openings from your bladder, your bowels and your womb all pass through your pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor muscles support bladder control and actively contract when you sneeze to avoid leaking. It is also responsible for controlling bowel movements and enables you to ‘hold on’. During exercise these muscles not only support your internal organs during exertion but also aid in maintaining intra-abdominal pressure and help stabalise the spine.
If this sling of muscles weakens it can no longer support the abdominal organs effectively and can lead to incontinence, poor spinal stabilisation and even a prolapse which is why it is so important to keep them functioning well and strong.
Pelvic floor muscles weaken because of a variety of reasons, just like other muscles ‘if you don’t use them you lose them’. Post pregnancy and child birth is the most important time to ensure you strengthen these muscles as hormonal changes and the trauma of birth weaken them substantially. Factors such as being overweight, ongoing constipation and a chronic cough can also put extra pressure on the pelvic floor.
When using your abdominals to stabalise during exercise it is also important to pull up on your pelvic floor to support your organs and increase your spinal stability. If you do not activate them the increase in intra abdominal pressure created from exertion place extra pressure on the pelvic floor pushing your organs down. Training the pelvic floor muscles will help balance the other muscles that interact with them improving posture, bladder control and even flattening the stomach.
Exercises to Activate the Pelvic Floor
To activate the pelvic floor try and shorten the distance between your anus and your naval by pulling up. The pelvic floor muscles are the same muscles you use to stop yourself mid stream when going to the toilet. It is very easy to bring other muscles into play, so try to isolate your pelvic floor as much as possible by not pulling in your tummy, squeezing your legs together, tightening your glutes or holding your breath. Practice contracting your pelvic floor muscles and build upto 10 seconds, you can repeat this after 3 or 4 seconds doing up to 10 repetitions. Try to do these exercises in a slow and controlled way so you ensure you are engaging the right muscles.
The ability to work these muscles quickly helps them react to sudden stresses like coughing, laughing or exercise. Once you have mastered activating them practise some quick contractions, drawing up on the pelvic floor and holding for just one second before releasing the muscles and repeating 10 times. For further strengthening talk to your FORM Trainer so they can help you get the most out of your training